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Chicago Flag Turns 100 at the Chicago History Museum

Toast the 100th Anniversary of a Chicago icon that has become the reigning symbol of the city and has inspired more tattoos than we can count at the Chicago History Museum’s Chicago flag party.

The celebration takes place on Tuesday, April 4 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Museum admission is FREE for Illinois residents.

On April 4, 1917, the Chicago flag design was accepted by the city council. Except for the addition of two new stars – one in 1933 commemorating the Century of Progress, and one in 1939 commemorating Fort Dearborn – the flag remains unchanged to this day.

Rare artifacts will be on view for the evening including a 1947 Chicago flag that was carried on the first round-the-world commercial passenger flight of the Pan American Clipper, images of early versions of the flag that featured two and three stars, and clippings from the flag inventor Wallace Rice’s notebook.

Discover how the Chicago flag got its stripes. A Chicago History Museum representative will give a presentation on the history of the flag at 6:30 p.m.

The Museum is offering a 20 percent discount on all levels of membership as a special flag promotion to visitors who sign up on-site.

The Chicago History Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of Revolution Brewing.

ABOUT THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM

The Chicago History Museum, a major museum and research center for Chicago and American history, is located at 1601 N. Clark Street. The Museum has dedicated more than a century to celebrating and sharing Chicago’s stories through dynamic exhibitions, tours, publications, special events and programming. The Museum collects and preserves millions of artifacts, documents and images to help audiences connect to the city and its history. The Chicago History Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago. The Chicago History Museum is a 2016 winner of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the highest award given to these institutions for their community engagement and having an impact on the lives of individuals, families, and communities.